Black Heart
by Befham
Summary: For ten years she captured the attention of the whole of England, and even now she is not the Queen of England, Anne Boleyn still manages to create scandals throughout court.
1. Chapter 1

**I've had this story in my head for a while now. This is an Anne & Charles story, but they won't be getting together for a while seeing as they both hate each other right now. This is set in Season 2 Episode 9 - The Act Of Treason. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Tudors. If I did Anne & Charles would have had more screen time together.**

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When her father had brought her back to England, Anne thought that he had finally decided to find her a suitable husband. Part of her had hoped that this wasn't the case. She wanted to be able to enjoy the freedom she had come to love whilst her father focused on Mary and King Francis' relationship for a little longer. She had never been as reckless as Mary had during her time in the French court, but she had enjoyed flirting with the courtiers and taking part in the masquerades and feasts. She knew that when it was her turn to either find a husband or be her father's pawn in his next political movement, she would be under his constant watch, so she had intended to have fun when his attention was focused elsewhere.

After Mary had been the King's mistress and had been married off once he had tired of her, Anne had never expected that her father would be willing to push another daughter into the royal bed. However much she tried to persuade him that becoming the King's mistress was a bad idea and would only result in ruining her reputation once he had tired of her, Thomas Boleyn would not listen to her. He said that it was her family duty to do this for them, to earn her father and brother titles and land and to earn royal favour for them.

Alas, she did what her father wanted of her and set herself in the King's way. It was almost amusing to see how quickly he fell for her. She was not a naïve girl, she knew that the King would eventually tire of her and marry her off. What kind of man would be willing to marry the King's cast off? Anne didn't want to find out. And so, she denied the King what he wanted, always hinting at what he could have but never giving it to him. Her feelings for him began to change when they started spending time together, he stopped treating her like a piece of meat and more like a person. She began to respect him, she learnt that they shared the same interests in music, books, art, she fell into a deep, passionate love without thinking about the consequences. She didn't think about her father's warnings, she didn't think about Mary's heartache when she was discarded along the many other women the King had. All she knew was that she wanted him.

Things started well at first. Henry adored her and she adored him. Nobody saw any harm in the King taking a liking to the Boleyn girl. When he started making his intentions to make her Queen clear to the court, she started making enemies. The courtiers supported the poor Queen who was getting tossed aside in favour for a younger woman who would give him the son he wanted and needed. They started blaming her, even going so far as to suggest that she had bewitched Henry. How people could be naïve to even think that she could command the King what to do was something she never understood. But none of this mattered. They had one another to get through the cold stares and scornful comments. No matter how much they argued when they became impatient for the annulment to come through, they always came back together again. Henry took matters into his own hands and announced himself to be Head of the Church in England and finally got his divorce. When they finally gave into temptation and made love, she became pregnant with what they hoped to be a son. She was crowned Queen of England, even the silence in the streets didn't bother her. How could it when she had finally gotten what she wanted after seven years?

Everything was perfect. He loved her. She loved him.

And then Elizabeth came.

No matter how much Anne loved her daughter now, she couldn't help being disappointed when she found out the sex of the baby at the time. He blamed her, she could see it the moment his eyes met hers when he came into the room. As if she had the power to decide the sex of a child! Seven years of waiting, all of the trouble Henry went to make her his wife and Queen, it had been for nothing. She would be a laughing stock to her enemies, and a disappointment to her supporters.

When Henry left, she had wanted to cry, to say something other than "I'm sorry." This wasn't how events were supposed to go. She was supposed to give the King and England the Prince they needed. Henry was supposed to fall deeper in love with her for finally giving the one thing he desired most.

All of these thoughts disappeared as soon as she looked down at the little bundle in her arms. She knew that there was nothing to be sorry for. The child was the most precious girl in all of England, and she wouldn't have changed her for the world, even to make her a boy.

She started to resent Henry a little. Why couldn't he be happy with their daughter? She would give him his sons eventually just as she promised. After her failure to produce a son, Henry started to look towards other women. When she heard that he had taken Lady Eleanor Luke as his mistress, it broke her heart. After seven years of being faithful he ended it because she didn't give him a son. She was losing his love as each day went by, and she had no idea how to get it back.

When Anne became pregnant again, Henry was overjoyed at the thought of finally getting his son. He didn't stop seeing his mistresses, so Anne chose one for him herself, somebody who she could trust who wouldn't turn him against her. Lady Shelton had been a good choice, but it didn't make it easier to know that Henry was with somebody else when little over a year ago he was completely devoted to her. She spent may nights crying herself to sleep imagining them together.

And then the unthinkable happened. She miscarried the baby.

Henry stopped caring. He couldn't bare to look at her and he didn't want to be in her presence for longer than ten minutes. He sought out more mistresses. He may have been discreet about it but Anne always knew. Her father became impatient with her, angrily telling her to win back the King's love and to produce a son. How was she supposed to bare him a son if Henry wouldn't lie with her? As each day slipped by, she could feel his displeasure with her becoming stronger. He didn't love her like he used to, she didn't know if he loved her at all anymore. Her position as Queen became uncertain. The French King openly snubbed her, courtiers stopped vying for attention now that she was not in favour and her enemies began plotting her downfall.

He started blaming her for things she had no control over. He blamed her for Sir Thomas More's execution when it was he who signed the death warrant. He blamed her for the Lady Mary's disobedience when he was the one who made her a bastard in the first place and demanded that she serve Elizabeth at Hatfield. She had slowly learnt that nobody could tell Henry what to do, least of all her. Surely he realised that it was not her fault, the Lady Mary would always have hated the woman who became her father's true wife whether it was her or another woman.

She _needed_ a son. It was the only thing that could save her and Elizabeth. She was sure that God would never let her have a child as long as Katherine and her daughter were alive. When Katherine died and she found out she was with child for a third time, Anne was sure that she would succeed this time. She thought that it was a sign from God, with her death surely her son would follow. Now that Katherine was dead, nobody could question her title as Queen.

Henry was pleased, though he didn't love her like he used to and had taken a fancy to the wretched Seymour slut, he wanted a son. He didn't dote on her like he did during her previous pregnancies, but she ignored this fact and tried to focus on giving Henry his son.

And then she walked in on Henry and Mistress Seymour sharing a kiss.

It changed everything.

She had heard the whispers in the court, had even guessed why the pale wrench was put into her service by the King's orders. She knew that he had taken a fancy to the girl, yet it hurt to see it. Having to see her husband looking at another woman the way he used to look at her.

It almost killed her, but it did kill her child.

Everything was lost when she woke up with the searing pain in her stomach and saw the bloody bed sheets. Henry blamed her, and a small part of her blamed herself as well. If she had remained calm then the child may have survived, but what woman would not have been angry and hurt? Mostly she blamed him for flaunting a woman in front of her especially when she was in a delicate condition, and she hated him for it. He had nobody to blame but himself. It was different with the other women, it was about lust. He loved the Seymour slut, and that made it hurt all the more.

She knew what this meant for her and her daughter. He would want to get rid of her and replace her with the slut. She could see the hate in his eyes when he looked at her, and though part of her hated him for what he had done and what he was about to do, another part loved him. Every false smile, every time he turned away from her, it hurt her.

Everyday she awoke wondering if this was going to be the day he finally broke her, when he declared their marriage null and void and making sweet Elizabeth a bastard in the process. What happened though was not what she expected.

When Nan Saville told her that she had been questioned over allegations of Anne committing adultery, she didn't want to believe it. She couldn't imagine Henry ever thinking that she had been with any other man apart from him. He _knew_ how much she loved him.

He surely couldn't believe such lies, could he?

If he declared their marriage null and void then he would have to admit that his marriage to Katherine was true and lawful. Henry was a proud man, he would never want to admit that he was wrong. Yet, if she had committed treason and had to be sentenced to death, then Henry would conveniently be able to marry Jane Seymour without anybody questioning the validity of their marriage. With Anne dead then she would never be able to argue against an annulment.

That was what finally made her hate him. Not the fact that he loved another. Not the fact that he wanted to marry his slut. Not the fact that he wanted rid of her. Not even the fact that he was making their daughter a bastard.

No, what made her hate him was the fact that he wanted to believe these ridiculous allegations about her. He _wanted_ to believe her enemies lies about her.

He _wanted_ her dead.

She had only ever wanted to be able to be married and to have children – the greatest solace in a woman's life.

Being married had almost made Anne lose her head.

The halls of Whitehall palace were empty at this time of night. The only sound being made was the clicking of the Queen's shoes on the stone floor as she walked determinedly to her husbands living quarters. It was an unusual sight to behold, to see the Queen without her ladies present was rare, but to see her striding through the halls at an hour well past midnight with her dark curls falling down her back and elegant features twisted in anger was an unusual occurrence.

Had the guard outside the King's door been a braver man he would never have let her in, but seeing the expression on her face and the barely concealed rage quivering in her voice when she uttered the word, "Move," the guard stepped aside without a further thought about the consequences for letting in the Queen, who was known not to be in favour, into her husbands rooms.

He was sitting in a chair staring into the fire nursing a goblet of wine in his hand when she entered. He barely acknowledged her presence save for his brow furrowing and clenching his jaw. Minutes passed in tense silence as Anne glared at her husband. His face was barely recognisable to her now. This was not the man who she fell in love with ten years ago. The man across from her now was a man who had been consumed by too much power, power she had encouraged him to embrace when it suited her. No, the man who would sacrifice his country to spend an hour in her arms disappeared a long time ago, and part of it was her fault.

If she had not told him to read 'The Obedience of the Christian Man' making him see just how much more power could be his, then none of this would ever have happened. She may never have been Queen of England, but she would still have _her_ Henry which meant more to her than being Queen ever could.

"Why are you here?" Henry asked with impatience leaking into his voice. He didn't bother to look at her and it angered Anne all the more. For three years she had tried to act like a dignified Queen, as was expected of her at the time. But now her time as Queen was coming to an end one way or another. She had nothing to lose, no amount of pleading would ever save her, so Anne embraced her anger.

"Am I not allowed to pay my husband a visit anymore?" Anne asked with thinly veiled sarcasm.

Henry sighed in annoyance. "It is after midnight, you should not be here."

"No, you are right, I shouldn't be here. But I have just heard something very distressing, my love, and I had to come here at once to talk to you." Her words caught his attention and his head snapped round to look at her. She stood tall with her chin tilted in defiance. She looked ready for a fight and once upon a time she had never looked more beautiful to him than when she was in a passion, even when he was the one she was arguing with. Now it irritated Henry more than anything in this world.

"I do not have time to listen to-"

"When I was first told that you were having your lap dogs investigate allegations of adultery against me, I thought that you could never possibly do that, not to me." Her words chilled him to the bone but before he could open his mouth she continued. "I know that you do not love me anymore, but not for one moment did I think that you hated me enough to do this," she whispered. "After everything that we were, after what we used to mean to one another, I never thought that you would desire my death."

"I will not speak of this with you," was Henry's only response. "Go back to your rooms-"

"No! I want to know why you wish to see me a head shorter. I know that you wanted to annul our marriage because I have only given you a daughter, you see my miscarriages as a sign from God that our marriage was never true. I would have gone away quietly, for Elizabeth's sake, and let you marry your wench. You know that I am an intelligent woman, I would not have had a choice about it seeing as I do not have any allies like Katherine did, although look where that had gotten her. So why Henry? Why do you wish to see me dead?"

He lifted his hand and said, "That is enough." The memory of him saying the exact same thing when Anne had questioned him about his mistresses made her eyes narrow in anger.

"You cannot expect me to hold my tongue when you wish to see my head on a chopping block!" she exclaimed, her voice raising in anger. "Is it not enough that you want to make our daughter a bastard that you wish to take her mother away from her as well?"

Henry slammed his goblet onto the table in front of him and stood towering over Anne's petite frame. "Do not use our daughter to make yourself appear innocent madam! This is your own doing! You lied about being a virgin when we met! You slept with other men in hope of conceiving a son, that is the reason why Elizabeth will be growing up without a mother!"

Anne snorted. "Lies! What is your proof? I have only ever loved you, even my enemies cannot deny that. I have never been with any other man but you! You want to kill me so I cannot argue against an annulment! With Katherine and I dead nobody will ever be able to doubt the validity of your marriage to your pale girl. Or do you wish to punish me for not giving you a son? Katherine had many miscarriages, why am I to be punished for having two?"

"You promised me a son," sneered Henry. Anne rolled her eyes impatiently. Henry's obsession with having a male heir had tormented Anne for two years. Under the pressure that Henry, her father and the country to produce a son it was not surprising that she could not bear a child to term. She had been desperate to give him a son, even thinking that God would never give her a boy while Katherine and Mary were alive.

"You have broken promises as well," Anne cried, thinking about the many nights she had spent awake wondering what whore he was with this time. "You promised that you would always love me, that I would only ever be the one in your heart. You promised to always be truthful and loyal-"

"I have every right to take a mistress-"

"Do you not understand what it did to me to see you with another? When I argued with you it was not because of my pride, it hurts to see you love another. It broke my heart Henry! How could I ever give you a son if you chose to spend your night in another's bed?"

"God has spoken, surely you realise that madam?" Henry said coldly, disregarding her comments on how he hurt her. "God will never bless us with a son just as he never gave Katherine one! I must look for one elsewhere."

"No woman can guarantee you a son Henry," scoffed Anne. "Not even your precious Jane Seymour can choose the sex of a child! You blame me for giving you a wonderful daughter, a daughter smarter than any boy in England twice her age. If Elizabeth had been a boy you would never have considered getting rid of me, no matter how you felt."

"How do I know that she is my daughter? Cromwell said that you could have had over one hundred men!"

"I should have known Cromwell would have something to say, I bet the Duke of Suffolk helped as well!" she stated bitterly. From the moment she had become Queen, Brandon had never supported her. He may have allied himself with her family to bring down Wolsey, but after that he made it known to everyone at court he was a supporter to Katherine, not Anne. Cromwell on the other hand had once been a close ally to her and the Boleyn family. Cromwell was a Reformer like herself and had helped to secure her position as Queen. Now however he saw Anne as a threat to his much desired Imperial Alliance and his work in dissolving the monasteries. It was not a surprise to know that Cromwell would go as far as making false allegations against her just to be rid of her. "Those men are my enemies, they want to see me fall! Do you think I am foolish, Your Majesty? I am far too intelligent to think that I could even have one lover, let alone one hundred."

"There is no more to say on the matter-"

"You believe them then? You believe that I had lovers to try to bear a son?"

Henry clenched his jaw tightly giving it the appearance of chiselled ice. "I said enough!"

"This isn't about the truth is it? It's about your pride! To annul our marriage you would have to tell the world that you were wrong about me, that your marriage to Katherine was true and lawful." Anne let out a disbelieving laugh. "You want me dead to save your pride!"

"That is not true-"

"Or is it just the thought of it," Anne whispered moving her face closer to his. She revelled in delight at the fury in his eyes, it had been a long time since he had looked at her with anything but indifference and their anger towards one another made her feel alive for the first time in a long time. She longed to goad him into a passion, to make him furious. His anger showed that he still cared, even if it was only a little. "The thought of another man _touching _me, the thought of another man being with what used to be yours?"

Her words seemed to do the trick. Henry had her pinned against the wall with one hand around her throat before she realised what had happened. A memory of when he held her like this once ten years ago, only then it was in lust, not anger, passed through her mind but she pushed it aside. She had never seen him this angry, not even when she miscarried the second child. In a normal time, Anne would have been terrified, now his anger only seemed to amuse her.

"Be careful what you say, sweetheart. I do not want to see you in anymore trouble than you already are. I am willing to be lenient with you, if you tell me the truth. Give me what I desire and I will spare your life, you will be sent to a nunnery for the rest of your days. We wouldn't want you to lose your neck would we? It's such a pretty neck after all," his husky voice whispered. He trailed his fingers down Anne's neck gently. "I have always loved your neck." The words were whispered against her ear, his soft breath hissing almost seductively in his anger caused a shiver to run up her spine. It reminded her of a time when he was still _her _Henry. How she missed him…

How easy it would make things to utter a few words saying that she was guilty, it would save her life as well as the innocent men who would be accused of having carnal knowledge of her.

But she would be lying.

Her pride would not allow her to do so. What kind of life would she have in a nunnery? Elizabeth would be taught that she was a daughter of traitor and a whore by the wretched Seymour family and her enemies. Her sweet daughter was innocent in all of this. She did not deserve this. Anne could admit there had been times when she had acted inappropriately with regards to her station, such as her reactions to Henry's infidelities when she acted vocally, but she had only acted because of her love for Henry. It hurt to see him lusting after other women, how could he expect her to shut her eyes like Katherine had when she loved him so much more? If she was to be put to death, she would go to the scaffold making it be known to the people that she was innocent. If Elizabeth could remember her when she was an adult, then Anne wanted her to think fondly of her and to know the truth. "I will not admit something that I have not done."

Henry curled his mouth in disgust. "Why deny it any longer?" he shouted, closing the distance between their bodies. "You have nothing to hide anymore! The world will see you as the whore that you are as soon as a trial takes place," he spat.

"You _want _to believe that I have had lovers. You are eager to listen to allegations made by men who you know are my enemies because you wish to be rid of me as quickly and as easily as possible," Anne spat, her voice rising in indignation. "You have no evidence! You know that as soon as this goes to trial not one of those men would judge me fairly. Those who were loyal to me would never dare to cross you when they know what verdict you want. And what of those who are accused to have been my lovers? You are condemning innocent people Henry, because you want to punish me. When this goes to trail everybody will see these ludicrous lies for what they are! No court has the right to try a Queen. They will never stand to see their Queen killed."

"I am the King! No peasant or courtier would ever go against me whether they think the trail is unjust or not. What makes you think that the people will protest in your favour? They barely tolerate you even when threatened with death!"

Anne smiled in delight. "If the Queen of England cannot hope to receive a fair trial, then what hope does anyone else have?" Her words had effected him just as she had hoped. Henry's grip on her throat slackened as she saw the colour drain from his face. "You see our marriage as invalid, so how can I have committed adultery, my love?" Anne lifted her hand and placed it against his cheek. The anger in her voice had been replaced by sadness. "Even if I had been with hundreds of men, you would have been just one amongst many." Her thumb brushed the panes of his familiar face as she smiled sadly at him.

"It could have been so simple, Henry. If only you had decided to annul our marriage." She pulled her hand away from his face and shook her head sadly. "I would have gone quietly, but now you leave me no choice. I will go to my death declaring my innocence, ceremony be damned. Not one person in this country will dare to doubt my innocence once I am dead." Anne permitted herself a smug smile. "Do you know what the best part is?" She let out a pearl of laughter. "If I die, then you cannot annul our marriage without causing a public outrage. Elizabeth will be your legitimate daughter. With my death, Elizabeth can become Queen!"

Henry tightened his grip around her slender throat and roared in fury, "Your daughter will never be Queen! My son will be the future King of England!"

Anne smiled viciously. "You have your sons with your Seymour girl, if she gives you any, but they will never live up to our daughter. The children she bears you will not be able to govern kitchen, let alone a kingdom. She is the brightest child, my Elizabeth, child of Anne the Whore! My blood will have been well spent if it makes her Queen. So you go ahead my dear husband, you have me put to death and we will see what happens."

Anne thought that Henry might actually strike her for her words if it had not been for the hurried footsteps outside the door. His grip did not slacken as the Duke of Suffolk barged into the room with the words, "Your Majesty I could hear-" dying on his tongue once he took in the scene before him. The royal couple did not spare the Duke a glance keeping their eyes on each other. Anne thought that it must look a bizarre scene to have entered upon, the King of England almost strangling his wife and Queen who was known to be out of favour. The thought almost made Anne laugh if it had not been for the tense atmosphere, so she permitted herself to widen her vicious smile as Henry let go of her neck. She leaned up to whisper in his ear, "Remember my words, my love," before brushing past him and walking gracefully out of the room not sparing Charles Brandon a glance.

The term of endearment was not lost on Henry, although the words sounded more of a threat and a mockery of the times she had called him her love these past years. He stood staring at the place where she had been standing contemplating her words. They brought a shiver up his spine at just the thought of Elizabeth becoming Queen. Surely that would never happen. After all, it had taken the death penalty for the people to accept Anne as his Queen and Elizabeth as his legitimate heir ahead of Mary, why would they suddenly support a woman they had never truly accepted as their Queen and a child they viewed as a bastard? Henry knew the answer. Anne would have their sympathy, and she would make sure everyone knew that she was innocent before she left the world. What person would love a King who had sent his wife to the scaffold when they believed she was innocent?

But what if she was innocent? What if she was being truthful? It angered him to think of her with another man, the thought that she had a lover who she thought was _better_ than him was unbearable. Henry had never liked it when people took things he considered his, and Anne would _always_ be his, even in her death.

Her words haunted him swirling around in his mind. The look in her eyes said it all, she was angry _and_ hurt, not fearful. Her words were confident, not pleading for her life, as if she knew how events would turn out after her death. Henry could not take that chance, even if she was guilty. He would not let Elizabeth be Queen.

"Your Majesty?" Brandon asked tentatively. He had been reluctant to break the silence afraid that his friend would turn his anger on him.

"Leave me, Charles." His tone deemed it wise not to argue. Brandon bowed and left without a word thinking about the words he had overheard.

Henry returned to his chair and stared at the flickering flames of the fire. No, while he did not love her anymore, Henry could not contemplate a world without Anne Boleyn gracing it with her presence.


	2. Chapter 2

It was not until she was back in her rooms that she realised what she had done. Her attendant was still fast asleep at the bottom of her bed none the wiser that Anne disappeared. So not to disturb her, Anne gently sat on the closest chair and put her face into her hands.

What use had it been to confront Henry? Even if he did believe her innocence, he would not stop the investigation now, it was only a matter of time before the guards came to arrest her. And for the Duke of Suffolk to walk in! How he must have loved to see Henry pinning her against the wall, the vile man was probably looking forward to her execution! If he told his bitch of a wife what he saw then the whole court would know by the morning.

Anne had gone too far this time.

Mentioning Elizabeth had a mistake, a foolish mistake. Anne knew Henry well enough to know that for angering him, he would retaliate by punishing their daughter because she was not around to bare his punishment.

Henry would go out of his way to make sure that the Seymour brats would be ahead of her in the line of succession. Anne may have public support for a while, but her death and the anger it would bring would be forgotten eventually. Elizabeth would need support from others when she was a woman who would help her to be a fine Queen, not support that would dwindle before her third birthday. While Anne would gladly die if it meant Elizabeth would be safe and became Queen, she did not want her daughter to grow up without her. Elizabeth was the one good thing that had come out of her marriage, she wanted the chance to watch her daughter grow into the beauty she was destined to be.

The thought brought tears to her eyes. Elizabeth was too young to understand. While others may tell her that her mother loved her dearly, she would be too young to have many memories of her. She would not understand why her mother could not be able to see her anymore. Even if Henry could find no way to make Elizabeth a bastard and was still considered a Princess, her legitimacy would still be questioned by other monarchs and the Catholic Church, but her position would be even worse than before. Princess or not, she would still be considered the child of a traitor and a whore. Henry would barely be able to tolerate her, look at how he had treated the Lady Mary whose mother had only ever loved Henry, how would he treat his other daughter whose mother he believed to be a whore? Nobody would dare speak up for Elizabeth because of who her mother was, not even her family. Her father and uncle would distance themselves from the whole scandal in hopes of not falling with her. Anne would not want her daughter to be a part of her father's sick games anyway. What kind of world would Anne be leaving her sweet daughter in?

The tears finally escaped her eyes trailing softly down her cheeks. How ironic it was that three years ago Henry had been prepared to go against the Pope, betraying all of his religious beliefs just to make her his Queen! And when he finally placed the crown upon her head he wanted to remove it with a blow to the neck! She was going to be remembered for centuries; whether people pitied her or laughed at her, she did not know.

Where had her sweet Henry disappeared to? Was he still in there, underneath the cold front he put on when in her presence? Did he look at Jane Seymour the way he once looked at Anne? It broke her heart to even think of it. Anne did not doubt that he was infatuated with the girl, but she would never hold his attention for long. If she was to be Queen then she would have to be crowned quickly.

For all her bravado when she argued with Henry, Anne was terrified. She was not afraid to die, she would go to her death with the dignity of a Queen. But she was afraid of never seeing her daughter again. Anne once told Henry that she would only ever be unhappy if he ever stopped loving her. At the time it had been true, even now, after all of the pain he had put her through, she still loved the man who had courted her. But now she would be happy if it meant she got to keep her life.

Anne angrily wiped her face cursing herself for being weak. No, the man who had courted her had disappeared a long time ago, and she would have to come to terms with that. The monster who was preparing to sign her death warrant was not the man she loved, she hated him with every fibre of her being.

These would be the last tears she shed over Henry Tudor.

* * *

For over twenty years the Queen's chambers had been occupied by Katherine of Aragon. Anne could remember the rooms well when they were finely decorated with Spanish furnishings from the time she had been a lady in waiting to Katherine. The rooms had always seemed dark and suffocating, perhaps it only felt that way to Anne because she knew what she was in love with the Queen's husband and would never feel comfortable around the woman. When Katherine was banished from court in 1531, it was not long before Anne was living in the Queen's chambers. Although Anne was not crowned for a further two years, she was Queen in everything but name. Anne quickly saw to the rooms being redecorated in her favoured French style with even grander furniture than Katherine's. Though she would never admit it to anyone else, Anne never felt truly comfortable in the Queen's chambers. There would always be a reminder in there that Katherine was once acknowledged as Queen and Henry's true wife, and even in her death people still considered her the rightful Queen. No matter how much Anne redecorated the walls or changed the furniture and linens, the rooms had never really belonged to her. They would be used again by whoever her predecessor was and many times after that, just like the Queen's jewels, they were never truly hers. She was just a number in a long line of women who would reside here.

Over the next three days, Anne wondered what the chambers would look like next. Mistress Seymour would most likely be the next Queen, so Anne thought that considering her never leaving English soil and was not well educated, the rooms would be plainly furnished. Plain rooms for a plain girl.

Anne wondered how many of her ladies were loyal enough to her to refuse to attend the next Queen, the one who was taking her place. Anne knew that Nan, her faithful friend who had been by her side even during the King's courtship, and Madge, her cousin, would be loyal to her. Some may have been loyal to her, but their families may tell them to serve the next Queen, and then others maybe glad that she was getting discarded for someone else. Anne was not naïve to think that all of her ladies were loyal to only her, she didn't doubt that given the opportunity some would be willing to spill their guts on any information her enemies could use to bring her down.

Anne wondered what court would be like after she was gone. Would it be a warmer place like it had been when she arrived, or was Henry so far gone that the cold atmosphere would still be present when she was not? Which courtiers would celebrate the fact that Anne Boleyn was finally gone, and which courtiers would mourn her death?

Anne wondered about many things during her wait for the guards to come. But they never came. Anne almost thought that Henry was being despicably cruel by making her wait. Each second that crept by felt as though an hour had passed. She froze when she head footsteps coming to her chamber wondering if now was the time. She tried to keep herself and her ladies busy so that they wouldn't be watching her all the time. If any of them knew what was coming then they hid it well. They passed the time learning the latest dances, by sewing more clothes than ever before to hand out to the poor in the day and having gatherings with her remaining friends in the evenings.

On the forth day Anne had had enough. If it had not been for Nan's gentle but firm reasoning she would have gone to Henry's rooms again and to demand to get this over with already. Nan had naively thought that he had changed his mind about the whole matter and was content to leave her as Queen. Anne was not as hopeful. When she mingled with the court she could feel the stares boring into her back from some of the King's closest friends who would be privy to what he was up to. Anne thought that Henry was most likely trying to find a way around annulling their marriage before she died without causing further scandal among the common people. Anne smiled grimly. Her words concerning Elizabeth's future had truly affected him.

She sent for Elizabeth to come to court that morning knowing that it may not have been the best idea for her to be around unfriendly courtiers at this time, but she had to see her daughter. If she rode out to Hatfield, she feared that some would think that she was trying to escape England. The thought did not cross her mind, she did not dare to anger Henry further so that he could take his anger out on Elizabeth.

She was reading in the gardens absorbing the sunshine when she heard the familiar shout of "Mama!"

Anne rose abruptly and turned to her daughter, her book quickly forgotten. Elizabeth was running to her as fast as her little legs could carry her. Quickly forgetting formal ceremony, Anne ran to her daughter and lifted her into her arms revelling in the child's delighted giggles.

Anne always wondered why Katherine had fought so hard when Henry wanted his annulment, and it was not until she had given birth to Elizabeth she began to understand. She did not doubt that Katherine fought because she believed that their marriage was lawful and that she was indeed Queen, but Anne now thought that most of her fought for Mary's rights. From a young age Mary was the heiress presumptive and was told that she would one day be Queen from a young age, it must have been difficult for Katherine to realise that there was a good chance that Mary would not become Queen once she was recognised as a bastard. Anne was impatient and could not understand why the woman did not make things easier for herself and her daughter by not fighting. Even now, if the roles were reversed then Anne would stand down in order to protect her daughter from her father's cruelty, even if she had to give up the chance of becoming Queen. But now Anne could understand why Katherine did not stop fighting. If she held out long enough, then she may have thought that Henry would realise his mistake and come back to her and proclaim Mary as a Princess again. The thought was a foolish one. Henry was not a man to admit he was wrong, and he would always want a son and proved how far he was willing to go to get one, regardless if he hurt his wife and child in the process. Katherine died alone and in poverty whilst her daughter served Elizabeth in Hatfield. A lesson that Anne had come to learn over the years of being Queen was that Henry would always love himself more than anyone else.

Whilst Anne would go to her death with an easier heart if it meant that her daughter was going to be safe and had a chance at becoming Queen one day, Anne feared that this was not the case. The Lady Mary still had many supporters that would not be happy to see Elizabeth still as a Princess, and even may try to get rid of her when she was older to make way for Mary to the throne. Once Henry had died and left no male issue leaving the throne to Elizabeth, Mary might even form a rebellion against her. She may claim to love her sister now, but Anne did not doubt that Mary would be ruthless in her attempt to take the throne. The Seymour family was well known to sympathise with Lady Mary and would take the opportunity to persuade Henry to reinstate her as a Princess and into the line of succession. Henry could be very volatile at times and always let his emotions rule his decisions. He could decide to declare Mary legitimate any time and declare Elizabeth a bastard if he pleased. With Katherine dead, he would not have to return to her so he could marry who he wished, there was nothing stopping him but his pride. Anne's death would have been for nothing if he declared their daughter a bastard. What kind of future would she have without Anne there to guide her? With Anne's death, all of her estates and title as Marquess of Pembroke would go to the crown leaving Elizabeth with nothing, especially if the King refused to acknowledge her as his daughter. It was too risky, a risk Anne could not bare to take. No, whilst Elizabeth may have a chance to become Queen with her death, it did not guarantee her safety.

This was what she could not understand about Katherine's decision. Why continue to fight a battle that you have already lost? Katherine should have told her daughter to yield to her father's demands for own safety. Henry had once said that he would try her for treason if not for the fatherly affection he has for her. Anne did not doubt that if she did not sign then Henry would do just that eventually once his patience ran out. She may not have become Queen, but she still could have been safe and happy, which was what Anne wanted for her daughter. Being a Princess or a Queen was just a title, and Anne had learnt these past few years that there were more important things in life than a fancy title.

Anne kissed the little girls cheeks and cried, "My Elizabeth! How I've missed you!" Anne held her closer and smiled. "You have gotten so big, my darling." Although Anne tried to see her daughter as much as she could, there were times when she did not see Elizabeth for months. Each time that she saw her, Elizabeth had grown so much. Two months ago her daughters hair was pure blond, now her hair was darkening with beautiful shades of red beginning to show. At under three years old, Anne could still manage to hold her daughter in her arms, though she was significantly heavier than the last time she held her like this. She craved for a time when Elizabeth would be too big to swing around anymore, and knew that it was unlikely to ever happen.

"I missed you too, Mama!" the child giggled holding onto her mothers neck tighter. "Lady Bryan says that I'm a big girl now, and she says I get to start my lessons when I'm three!" Elizabeth said smiling proudly.

Tears filled Anne's eyes as she looked at her daughter's beautiful innocence. To be excited to start her lessons and she would never see it! She would not see her third birthday! Anne had to bite her tongue to stop the tears from flowing. She spared a glance at Lady Bryan and said with a thick voice, "You may leave us, Lady Bryan." The governess curtsied and left her young charge with her mother. Anne dismissed her two ladies impatiently ignoring their curtsies. She wanted to be alone with her daughter. Being royalty meant that you never had any privacy. One could never be truly alone, and Anne could count the times on one hand when she and Elizabeth had been left alone together.

"Why are you sad, Mama?" Elizabeth asked quietly, her smile dropping. She didn't understand why her Mama was not happy she was starting her lessons, she wanted to be as clever as her Mama was so she was very eager to learn. She maybe a big girl now but it upset her to see her Mama so sad. "Did I do something?"

Anne forced a smile onto her face and quickly reassured her, "I am not sad, my darling. Mama was just being silly, you did not do anything." The toddler looked far from convinced so Anne said, "Shall we go and walk by the ponds? We could look at the swans and see if we can spot any fish."

Elizabeth smiled widely and held onto Anne's neck tighter. "I love swans! But I only want to go if you carry me Mama." She maybe almost three, but big girls still needed to be held by their mamas sometimes.

Anne's grip tightened around her daughter. "I wouldn't have it any other way sweetheart."

Since Anne was a small child she always loved to be outside. She loved the feeling of the sun on her skin and the gentle breeze against her face in the summer. Before she was sent away to the Archduchess of Austria's court, Anne would spend many days playing in the gardens with George and Mary, even her father when he came back to Hever. Other times she was content to sit with a book outside for hours. When her father was away at court, Anne used to love to play in the rain. Her nursemaid would be furious when she would return sometime later dripping wet and covered in mud.

Elizabeth seemed to have inherited the same trait as her mother. As her daughter leant over the water fountain looking for fish, occasionally pointing out the odd fish which swam past and clapping in delight, Anne knelt on the ground, for once not thinking about her expensive gown, keeping a firm hold on her. It was for her own sake as well as Elizabeth's. The child could fall in if she got overexcited, which Elizabeth got very often, and leant to far over, Anne needed to feel her daughter close to her. The gardens were deserted which was surprising on a warm spring's day, though Anne was glad for the privacy. It was as if the whole court thought that she needed to see her daughter for a few hours in peace without the scornful gossip that followed her everywhere. It was most likely the last time she would see her.

"Mama! Look Mama a fishy!" Elizabeth clapped exuberantly and turned in her mothers arms. Her smile vanished and was replaced by a sad frown when she saw tears trailing down her Mama's cheeks. "Mama? Why are you crying?"

Anne touched her cheek gently surprised to feel wetness upon her face. She smiled sadly at her daughter and shook her head. "It is nothing, my precious girl. Mama was just thinking about something sad."

Elizabeth frowned unhappily. Her Mama should not be sad. She should be happy like she always was when Elizabeth visited. She reached up and touched her Mama's face with her chubby hands and wiped the tears away and solemnly said, "Don't be sad Mama, I'm here!"

Anne closed her eyes in despair. How was she supposed to explain to a two and a half year old child that she was sad because this was likely to be the last time they would see one another? She pulled Elizabeth closer to her and stood up. "I am the most happy when you are here, Elizabeth. Never forget that."

Mother and daughter stood locked in their embrace for sometime. Anne did not bother to open her eyes when she heard footsteps, but her body did tense. _Not now, not with Elizabeth here._

Anne reluctantly opened her eyes when she heard a throat being cleared. She expected guards to be there to take her to the tower, so seeing the Duke of Suffolk standing alone took her by surprise.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness" he said respectively bowing low, though Anne thought that Charles Brandon did not respect her in the least. When Henry had been courting Anne, he did not seem to hate her as he did now. The Duke even seemed to support Henry in his quest for a divorce. When her father told her that Brandon had allied himself with them to bring down Wolsey in exchange for bringing him and his first wife, Margaret, back to court, Anne hoped that Brandon would have continued to help her become Queen. He would have been a good ally to have. As the King's closest friend he always had the King's ear, Brandon would have been able to strengthen the King's resolve to get his annulment. Alas, her hopes died as soon as Wolsey fell from grace.

The Duke distanced himself from the Boleyn's and the Howard's as soon as Wolsey was in the ground. Anne knew Margaret, Henry's sister, did not approve of her, and often wondered if it had been her influence that caused Brandon to despise her family. But when she died and he married the newest bitch Catherine Willoughby, his hate deepened. Anne knew that the girl was not a friend to her, her mother had been a lady in waiting to Katherine and would no doubt be loyal to the woman. Her hatred of Anne was not a secret at court, and quite possibly told her husband to destroy Anne whenever the opportunity came. Henry began asking her advice on important matters, not Brandon's. He suggested to Henry that Anne had been Thomas Wyatt's lover, which resulted in the Duke's banishment. That had been a time when Henry had loved her more than anything in this world and would have defended her honour to any man, even his best friend. When Brandon returned he seemed to have learnt his lesson on questioning her virtue, but that did not stop the looks of loathing he sent her way everyday.

When Anne became Queen, she treated the Duke with indifference until she began to fall from Henry's favour. Anne knew that Brandon was a dangerous enemy to have. When something went wrong between the royal couple, Brandon was always there whispering something scornful in Henry's ear to anger him further. As her influence over Henry declined, his increased. There was no doubt in Anne's mind that Charles Brandon had played a part in her downfall.

"Your Grace," she replied coolly.

"The King wishes to speak with you."

Anne raised an eyebrow condescendingly. "I did not realise that delivering messages was the duty of a Duke, Your Grace." Anne almost smiled when she saw his face contort in anger before turning back into a smooth mask. She looked down at Elizabeth and smiled reassuringly. "I must go and see your Papa, my darling girl. How about we look for Lady Bryan sweetheart?" Elizabeth nodded happily and motioned to be put down. Once she stood steadily on her feet, she took her Mama's hand and turned to walk away.

"That is not necessary, Your Majesty. I can escort Princess Elizabeth to her nursery-"

Anne laughed shortly without sparing him a glance. "With all due respect, Your Grace, but I do not think that is a good idea." The idea of leaving Elizabeth with one of her enemies was a daunting idea. Anne knew that Charles Brandon would never harm her daughter, after all she was Henry's daughter too and only a fool would dare to hurt a King's child, and Charles Brandon was no fool, but she did not want Elizabeth to be near any man or woman who would poison her thoughts against her mother.

Brandon's jaw clenched in suppressed anger. "His Majesty made it clear that he wished to speak with you right away, Your Majesty. I am perfectly capable of seeing the Princess to her nursery."

"I am sure you are, Your Grace," Anne replied as she towed her daughter away. "But I would feel more comfortable taking there myself-"

The Duke followed her and angrily said, "My God, woman! It is not as though I would harm the child!"

Anne froze and ignored her daughters curious face staring up at her. "Elizabeth, go and sit on the bench please."

"Why?"

"Because I am asking you."

"But-"

"Now, Elizabeth!"

Elizabeth frowned unhappily, her Mama rarely raised her voice at her and she didn't like it when she shouted like that. It must have been the mean man who upset her Mama. He would not do as Mama said, and everyone must do as her Mama says because she was the Queen. Elizabeth scowled at the Duke but made her way over to the bench.

Once she was out of earshot, Anne spun around to face Brandon and pointed her finger into his chest hissing, "Who do you think you are, Your Grace, to speak to me in such a manner? I am still your Queen and you will address me as such." She yearned to strike him across his face for everything that was happening to her. She did not want to have to pretend that everything was okay in front of her daughter and her ladies all of the time, she _needed_ an outlet for her anger and pain, and the Duke of Suffolk was the only person who she could unleash her anger on. She knew that he hated her, she knew that she had not behaved accordingly in the past, but surely they were not reasons for her to be put to death. "As long as my head is still attached to my neck you will treat me with the respect I deserve, is that understood?" Anne laughed harshly. "Then again, thanks to you and the King's lapdogs I'm sure that it will not be long before I am a head shorter. I am sure that you will be thankful for that, Your Grace." She regarded his speechless form coldly for several minutes and when it appeared he had nothing to say, Anne huffed impatiently and turned away from him.

His large hand caught her arm before she could move.

Anne looked back at him in surprise as he quietly said, "I never meant for this to happen." His words may have been sincere, but they meant nothing to Anne now. He had still played a part in what would eventually lead to her death. She pulled away from him and walked back to her curious daughter completely bewildered.

"Come along Elizabeth," she said quietly. Elizabeth took her mother's hand in silence and tried to keep up with her quick footsteps. She turned back to look at the gardens but her attention was caught by the mean man who was watching them walk away.

* * *

Henry Tudor was not a patient man. The only time that Henry was willing to be patient was during his courtship with Anne. He was determined to honour her by waiting until they were married before sharing her bed, and though they gave into their passion a few months before they were married, Henry had waited seven years for her. When Anne gave birth to Elizabeth instead of the son she promised, his impatience got the better of him. He needed a son, and he could not wait long for one. Anne had only given him another daughter, whose legitimacy was questioned, and two miscarriages. Surely it was a sign from God that this union was not a true one. Anne may still be able to have children or she could be barren, but no matter how much they had once loved one another, Henry was unwilling to take the chance of being married to a woman who may never give him a son.

"Her Majesty the Queen," his herald announced.

Anne walked in alone with her head held high before sweeping into a curtsey murmuring, "Your Majesty." Henry noticed that she walked with a confidence that had been missing from her step for the last few years. She looked like a Queen, beautiful, confident and graceful. Henry almost felt guilty for what he was about to do.

He offered her his hand helping her up from her curtsey, something he had not done in years. Anne masked her face into a smooth mask and snatched her hand away as soon as she was standing. She reminded herself that just because he occasionally chose to act like the man she fell in love with, he was not him. This man was willing to kill her in order to be rid of her!

The silence was tense as husband and wife regarded one another. Anne could not believe that things were going to end like this. If someone had told her three years ago that she was to die for being unable to give the King a son, she would have laughed. She understood that Henry wanted a son to secure the Tudor dynasty and Anne was sure that she could give him a son, she was still sure that she could give him one eventually, but she was never given the time. She had naively believed that Henry loved her more than anything, and would wait as long as he had to for his son.

The only thing Henry loved was himself.

Maybe her father had been right, maybe she should not have let herself fall in love with the spoilt King. If Henry took lovers would she have cared if she had not loved him? But how could she have not fallen in love with him? He was everything she dreamt about as a girl, the passion and love that she craved. Would she have survived being married to someone she did not love?

Anne collected herself and regarded him coolly. He seemed to understand she would not speak to him, after all, what more was there to say?

"I do not believe you are guilty of the allegations made against you," Henry said, his voice formal as if talking to a stranger, not the woman he loved for ten years. "It pained me deeply to hear the rumour of your behaviour, however I had to have these allegations investigated. After our… discussion I looked into the evidence myself and after hearing you speak of it, I realised that you could never have taken a lover. You will not stand trial, you shall live," he spoke softly, as it she should be giving him thanks for not letting her die.

Anne wanted to laugh. Why should she give him her gratitude for sparing her life when he had no reason to condemn her to death in the first place? She knew that his words held no truth. Anne was sure that when Cromwell told him of her supposed behaviour that Henry was grateful for a way out of their marriage. He _wanted_ her to be guilty. Anne knew that her words about Elizabeth and the people's reaction had affected him. She realised the reason why the guards never came was because he could not find a way to make Elizabeth a bastard and kill Anne without causing a public outcry, not because Henry changed his mind and wanted to give her another chance. Part of her hated herself for still hoping that Henry still loved her, but a bigger part of her hated him.

Anne looked away from him in disgust and murmured quietly, "Your Majesty is very gracious."

"Things cannot continue the way that they are, Anne." She flinched at hearing her name fall from his lips. "I need a son, and so far you have failed to give me one."

"May I speak freely, Your Majesty?" Henry waved his hand indicating that she could. "I am Your Majesty's most humble and loyal subject. You raised me from a lady to a Queen, and I shall be forever grateful. I still believe that I can give you a son, but if it is your wish to annul our marriage, then I will comply if it pleases you." Although she hated to sound so submissive to him, Anne knew that she would have to be careful if she wanted to keep Elizabeth in his favour. Anne knew that her time as Queen was coming to an end, and though part of her was sad that it had not worked out for her, another part was glad to be escaping with her life.

Henry raised his eyebrows in surprise. He expected her to at least attempt to persuade him to keep her as his Queen, to even fight against an annulment as Katherine had. "It pleases me greatly. For your cooperation, you will be known as the Marquess of Pembroke, and Elizabeth will be known as the Lady Elizabeth and will be welcomed to court as my acknowledged daughter."

"I have one request, Your Majesty. I would like for Elizabeth to live with me. I would be willing to live in one of my manors closer to London rather than Pembroke, if it pleases you Your Majesty." Anne had always hated living apart from Elizabeth, she wanted to watch her daughter grow up with her own eyes, not have to listen to reports on how she was doing.

"Of course," Henry said. Although Anne had agreed to an annulment, she still had the power to make the situation difficult. If letting their daughter live with her was what it took to keep her happy then he would do it.

Anne smiled. "Thank you, Your Majesty. Then I will gladly do anything as you please." She curtsied to him once more and leaving before he could reply. Henry frowned in bewilderment. When had the fiery woman he once loved become so willing to please him? He almost looked forward to having an argument with her. There were times when Henry had taken pleasure from their arguments in the past, and more recently it had pleased him when he saw his wife in distress knowing that she feared him.

Henry pushed thoughts about Anne away. He could marry his sweet Jane soon. Once he had gotten divorced from the woman who had been the object of his affection for ten years, he would finally have his son.

Although Henry would never admit it, not even to himself, he was going to miss her.


	3. Chapter 3

The days after agreeing to an annulment were peaceful, but Anne's euphoria at keeping her life dimmed quickly. Anne kept to her quarters and did not mix with the rest of the court apart from her ladies and maids. While she doubted that many knew about her standing down as Queen, Anne was sure that there were to be rumours. Besides, after her second miscarriage Anne knew that the courtiers only thought that it was a matter of time until she was cast aside. She did not want the delighted and smug looks pointed her way be her enemies or the pitying looks from the few friends she had. Anne had not seen or heard from Henry since their discussion had taken place. She assumed that he was holed up somewhere with Cromwell making the arrangements for their annulment.

Anne spent her days in quiet solitude partly thankful for escaping with her life and partly wondering how everything went wrong. Three years ago they were so happy, so in love. She had known that Henry was a fickle man, but she loved him anyway. If she had not loved him, would she still be Queen of England? Was her children dying and her inability to produce a son her punishment for pushing Catherine off the throne? Was she doing the right thing? By allowing herself to live, she was making Elizabeth a bastard. Anne could protect her daughter alive, could make sure that she had a happy life. But if she died, Elizabeth would remember her mother as a whore, but she could still have a chance at succeeding the throne. Anne knew her daughter would make a fine ruler, but did she want that lonely life for her? The thoughts almost drove her insane and Anne was grateful for being allowed to leave court soon. Maybe living in the country with her daughter would help her see things more clearly.

She could not stand to think about the smug looks on the Seymour's faces. If Mistress Seymour could keep Henry's attention for a few more months then she could be the next Queen of England. It was more than likely. Whilst Cromwell may push for a royal match with a foreign Princess, he was in league with the Seymour's and may push for Mistress Seymour to become Queen. The English hated foreigners, and it could take years for an agreement to be made when arranging a royal match. Henry would want to be married now in order to produce a child. Jane Seymour would be the suitable candidate in Cromwell's opinion, even if they did not agree on religious views, the girl would never interfere with his work. The girl was everything that Anne was not. Obedient, uneducated, meek. Jane Seymour would never challenge Henry, and that would keep her head attached to her shoulders. The Seymour slut was smarter than Anne had given her credit for. She knew what Henry wanted, a good loyal wife, the opposite of what the passionate Anne Boleyn was. Jane Seymour would never love Henry half as much as Anne did, and because of that she would be safe once the crown was on her head. As long as she could give Henry his son.

Anne hoped that the woman failed.

Nobody bothered her for days. Visitors had stopped coming long ago, and apart from her ladies curious glances and whispered conversations about why she was not mingling with the court, Anne was left alone. Her family must not have known what she had done, her father would soon as beat her than to allow her to stand aside, whether she was Queen or not. She was surprised at first that Henry had not announced her retirement, but she was glad of it. Maybe he would allow her to go quietly. She had imagined that he would be celebrating for finally ridding himself of his wife easily and was thankful for his discretion. It was already bad enough that she had failed in giving him a son and losing his love, she did not need the fact that a meek country girl had stolen her husband and crown rubbed in her face. The Seymour's will be ecstatic when they hear the news, Anne only hoped that she had left London when the court found out. At least she did not have to see the Seymour slut in her rooms anymore. The girl had not been in Anne's presence for days now, she could only assume that Henry had told her to stay away so not to tarnish her perfect reputation.

It was with a heavy heart she left the sanctuary of her chamber when Anne was summoned to discuss the terms of the annulment. There had to be rumours about why the Queen had been confined to her rooms. Was she in some form of trouble or was she ill? Anne had no desire to see the stares which were bound to come her way.

As she stepped into Henry's chambers, she was pleasantly surprised to see only Henry, Cromwell and Cranmer and could not help glance around the room twice. Anne expected to see the Seymour's smug faces along with Suffolk's whilst she finally admitted defeat and was grateful to Henry for not having them there. It was bad enough to see the barely concealed joy in Cromwell's cold eyes and the sadness in Cranmer's, but seeing Henry's emotionless face almost broke Anne's heart once more. Did the past ten years truly mean nothing to him?

And that was when Anne realised she had done the right thing in suggesting an annulment before she was killed. Being at court with all the games of seduction and manipulation was not a place she wanted Elizabeth to be. Anne could protect her from this, whether she was in the King's favour or not. Anne could protect Elizabeth from her father. Elizabeth would still inherit all of the lands that Anne owned after her death and would become a very wealthy woman. The pain it cause Anne to see Henry look at her with dead eyes, the shame she felt at not being able to hold onto the crown, the anger at being replaced by Jane Seymour and the joy the court was bound to feel when they found out she was no longer Queen, none of it mattered. As long as her daughter was safe, that was all that mattered.

Anne Boleyn was not one to give up, but giving up her marriage was the one thing Anne knew she had to do.

So Anne finally let out a true smile for the first time in days and dropped into a curtsey. "Your Majesty."

* * *

Anne returned to her chambers in a state of shock. It was over. The task she had been assigned ten years ago had finally come to an end. And she had failed to complete it. Anne Boleyn was no longer the Queen of England. Although a part of her was angry with herself for failing to do so, another part was glad that it was over.

Henry had been very generous considering the circumstances. She had expected to go back to being plain Lady Anne Boleyn, but Henry had elevated her to the Duchess of Pembroke making her one of the wealthiest women in the country. Henry also settled on her several more estates as well as letting her keep the ones he had gifted her with during their courtship along with all of the gifts he had given her, and had even settled on her a few monasteries to do with what she wished. Anne had to refrain from giving Cromwell a sly smile when he announced it.

For the first time in a long while, Anne was feeling very thankful towards Henry. Although she did not want to be in this situation in the first place, Henry could easily have left her with nothing.

By the time the papers were signed and Cranmer had finished reciting the grounds for the annulment, Anne was ready to leave. There was no last goodbye from Henry, no lingering looks. Everything was very formal. She asked permission to leave court as soon as possible and was granted easily enough. She asked for arrangements to be made for Elizabeth to be prepared to leave Hatfield and that was the only time Henry seemed ready to confront her.

"You gave me your word that Elizabeth would live with me, Your Majesty," Anne interrupted when she saw Henry was about to argue against her. "You have already taken enough away from me, do not take my daughter as well."

Henry's jaw clenched. "Very well. Arrangements shall be made when you have selected a manor to reside in."

Anne had thanked him kindly enough, but was secretly thrilled that she could still get a response from him. He was not as emotionless as he tried to make out.

Anne's ladies were just as she had left them as she swept into the room. They all dropped into curtsies upon her entrance and Anne smiled somewhat sadly. Although not all of her ladies were loyal to her, there were a few that Anne would miss when she left.

"As of today, I am no longer the Queen of England," Anne announced with a sparkle in her eye. She revelled in the shocked gasps and murmurs floating around the room. "The King and I have annulled our marriage. Whilst it saddens me to do so, I am leaving court. I would be very grateful if you could pack my belongings and have them ready for departure as soon as possible." When some ladies, namely Jane Parker and other Seymour supporters, stood still and continued to stare at her, Anne raised a threatening eyebrow. "You are still in my service until I leave court. If you hesitate to disobey me again I will have you dismissed from court. Permanently." Anne smiled when the few remaining ladies quickly began packing.

She may not be Queen anymore, but Anne still had enough power to frighten others. Being the Duchess of Pembroke may not be as bad as she first thought.

* * *

Once she had ordered her ladies and maids to begin packing her belongings, Anne realised it was only a small amount of time until the whole court knew. Whilst some of her ladies maybe fond of her, they were not known for their discretion. She only had hours to tell her family before they found out from another courtier. Anne knew she owed her family nothing, especially her father, but she thought some form of warning was fair. It was humiliating enough to stand down as Queen, but she could at least bow down with some dignity. She could only hope her family would follow in her footsteps.

Of course, she knew this was too much to ask for her temperamental father.

"Why? Why would you do this?" Thomas Boleyn shouted at his daughter who seemed too busy going through her vast amount of jewellery to be listening to him in his opinion. "All you had to do was shut your mouth and turn your head the other way and you would have been fine! Not only have you shamed us by standing aside, the King will no doubt take our titles away-"

Anne laid down the necklace gently before turning to her father with shrewd eyes. "Oh Father, stop before you give yourself a nose bleed. The King will not take away any of your titles or land. He made me a Duchess just for going quietly! And if you are wise you will do the same and bow down gracefully. You have gained far more that you ever set out to achieve when you pushed me into his bed. For ten years I have been your puppet and played things your way, but your ambitions were going to get us killed! He was already trying to make allegations against me! We are lucky to be escaping with our lives." Anne regarded her father coolly for a moment. It was hard to see the man who had once spent many hours playing with her and her siblings in the gardens of Hever in her father anymore. Had greed and power made him this cold, the thrill of being the King's father-in-law and the many lands that had been gifted to him over the last decade going to his head? He had not always been this way, as a child he had cherished Anne over Mary and George. He gave her the best education that was possible for his witty daughter, he obtained her places in foreign courts, all of which helped her to become the woman that she was today. He gave her the best start of life that he could, and although he had used her to prolong his advancement, he was still her father. They had risen together, and now they would fall together. It was for that reason alone that she did not order him out of her rooms.

"I do not wish to argue with you, Papa," Anne said quietly, using the old familiar term that she hadn't used in a long time hoping that it may soften him a little. "You may not like my decision, but it is for the best. The King does not think that I can give him a son and will find the easiest way to be rid of me. You may want to take a gamble which could cost my life, but I do not." Although it pained Anne to admit it, her father would never have let her stand down as Queen if he had known before she confronted Henry, even knowing that their entire family could be in danger, his pride would never let him back down. They had gone into this game with high stakes, for Thomas Boleyn it was all or nothing.

She didn't have the strength to play the game anymore.

"We need to cut our loses now whilst we have time to escape," Anne said gently. Boleyn stared at his daughter for a moment before turning away and stomping towards the door without a word. Anne flinched as the door slammed shut behind him. She sighed quietly and willed the tears away. She knew it was hard for him, but she had hoped for a little sympathy from her father. He worried about losing his titles and his influential place in court, whereas Anne had lost her title, her daughter's title, and her husband.

She refused to spill anymore tears for Henry. She was relieved to be keeping her life, but it didn't stop the pain of losing the man she had loved.

* * *

Anne could almost hear the gasp of relief from the courtiers when she left court. She could understand why. Many of them had hated her the moment Henry showed interest in her. Women were jealous that he no longer spent time in their beds, men were jealous that she had his favour. Henry had changed many things about England in order to make her Queen, especially the Church. With Anne now off the throne, many were hoping that Henry would rejoin the Pope and restore Mary to her former title. Anne knew hat their hope was in vain. Henry would never admit that he was wrong about Mary being a bastard, and he would not renounce his claim to being the Head of the Church of England now that he had had a taste of the power. Many people, especially the Catholics, were going to be disappointed.

The Seymours did little to hide their glee at her departure. It was already well known that Henry would likely take the slut as his wife, Anne was only thankful that he did not propose whilst she was still at court. Still, the slut could barely contain her smile when Anne had passed her. Anne had merely raised an eyebrow at her before the girl shrank back. The girl would not keep Henry's interest for long, if she wanted to wear the Queen's crown then she would have to act fast. To be replaced by a girl so meek and uneducated stung Anne's pride. If she had lost to Katherine then she would have been humiliated, but she would have lost to a Princess of Spain. Jane Seymour could barely write her own name.

Cromwell had appeared as composed as ever, but Anne knew him well enough to see the jubilation in his eyes. Her old ally was glad to see her fall. Chapuys was another who did little to hide his smile. Is she was a bigger person, Anne would hope that Lady Mary did get restored to her former position as Princess. Henry no longer had any legitimate children, he was leaving himself and England in a very precarious position if he were to die. As it was, Anne prayed the girl would remain a bastard as her precious Elizabeth was to be. Although she was sorry for some of the pain she had caused Katherine's daughter, Anne prayed that she would never become Queen and would do everything in her power to make sure that it never happened. The girl would have Anne and possibly Elizabeth on the chopping block if she were to become Queen in order to protect her throne. Mary Tudor did not make things easy for herself these past few years and lived a painful life because of it. In her opinion, the villain in her story would always be Anne Boleyn, the girl who seduced her father away from his wife.

She did not see Henry. Part of her was glad not to have to see him staring at her with such hatred in his eyes. Another part of her, a small foolish part, had hoped that he would announce that he was wrong, that she was still his wife and that he loved only her. She knew it was naïve of her, but the part of her that was still the young hopeful girl he had first fallen in love with had not wanted to let him go. Now that she had given up hope, she would never see him in that light again. He was not the man who worshipped her, he was a cold calculating King who wanted nothing but a son.

Whilst she did have many enemies who were glad to see her go, Anne also had her friends and family. Her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk had been wise enough to distance himself from the Boleyns when they began to lose favour. Still, it seemed he was sad to see Anne leave, even offering her a rare smile. Her father had ignored her, but her brother and her cousin the Earl of Surrey even bowed to her as if she was still Queen. Cranmer had kissed her hand reverently. Her ladies had openly wept at her departure, save the Seymour girls and Jane Parker. Nan Saville had even left her position at court and was to be the head of her household at her new residence. Seeing some of her loyal friends such as Mark Smeaton, Thomas Wyatt and Henry Norris had risen her spirits some.

What had surprised Anne was the Duke of Suffolk. She knew that Brandon had plotted with Cromwell and the Seymours to be rid of her, he should have been happy that she was leaving. But when she passed him in the crowd, he regarded her with unreadable eyes and wore no smile like she expected. He had even given her an imperceptible nod. Anne could hardly believe her eyes. He had gotten his wish, Henry no longer favoured her and she was no longer Queen, he should have been happier. She pushed the thought away as quickly as it had come. Brandon was nothing to her. He had won, she had lost. They had no reason to interact again.

The past few minutes kept swirling around in her head as she sat alone in her carriage as it left the palace. It was official, it was over. She was no longer married. She was no longer Queen. Anne barely noticed the crowd that had gathered outside the palace to see her off. She did not need to hear the usual insults that were being thrown her way. It wasn't until they had passed the gates did she listen to the shouts of "God save Queen Anne and Princess Elizabeth!" and other praises being shouted her way. She even heard women calling Jane a whore! For the first time in weeks Anne gave a pearl of laughter and waved in thanks.

Since Elizabeth's birth, she knew that Henry had affairs with women. Mistress Seymour was different though. Seeing her bat her lashes at Henry made her quiver in anger. But seeing him staring at her with such devotion in his eyes that day several months ago when he kissed her had broken Anne's heart. He had once looked at her that way, and now he looked at another. It was that moment that Anne realised how dangerous Jane Seymour really was. Maybe she should not have gotten in such a state over seeing Henry kissing the slut. Henry chided her for not walking away, for not acting more like Katherine had. Katherine had never loved him like Anne did. Henry was everything to her, and seeing him being tender to that slut when he barely tolerated his pregnant wife hurt her so much. She knew that he spent time with her, but seeing it was another thing entirely. Henry had broken her that day, and it resulted in the death of her unborn son. It was a memory that would never leave her. No, Anne would never forgive Henry and Jane Seymour for what happened to her son, but hearing the crowds insult the girl made her feel better.

_How ironic_ she thought. Three years ago it was Katherine who was being sent away and the crowds were calling Anne the whore! The support she was getting was unfathomable. Hearing how she was being pushed off the throne for another girl and the support for being the wronged woman was music to her ears. Who could have imagined the publics reaction after her almost silent coronation? She had imagined they would be glad to see her go, never had she imagined this.

Her smile grew impossibly wider as she imagined Henry's reaction to the crowds cheers. Life away from court was beginning to look more desirable already.


	4. Chapter 4

When news reached her that the King had remarried, Anne could not catch her breath for a minute. The letter from her brother did not go into much detail. All that was said was the King and Mistress Seymour had married, though she had not been crowned Queen yet. It seemed that Henry wanted a son from her before she officially became Queen. The wedding was a public affair with all of court attending and crowds on the streets, far from the rushed, secret union in a small chapel three years ago which only became knowledge through rumours and gossip.

Even though she had expected it, it was still a painful blow to Anne. He picked Jane Seymour, a girl who could barely write her own name, over she who had grown up in Austria and France, whose intelligence rivalled that of any man she had met, to be his Queen. If Henry had married a foreign Princess, at least she had been replaced by royal blood, somebody worthy. Any English maiden would have been better than Jane Seymour.

She could not bare to think of that woman as Elizabeth's stepmother. She would be content to never let her daughter lay eyes on the woman. The woman would no doubt support the Lady Mary and would take any opportunity presented to return the stubborn girl to favour. Nobody would speak in Elizabeth's favour, especially not the Seymour Girl who would never dare try to supplant herself as Elizabeth's mother whilst Anne walked the Earth. She had dreamed of what could have happened if she had been executed. The Lady Mary being reinstated, Jane Seymour giving birth to sons, Elizabeth calling that horrid woman Mother.

She seethed in rage and bitterness and for the first time in weeks cursed herself for letting this woman beat her. Not only had she taken her husband, she was to take her title!

And then her daughter came running to her in a fit of giggles and clutched at her skirts making Anne smile in delight and all thoughts of her former husband and his wench flew from her head. She may not be the Queen of England anymore, but now she was a mother, a title much more honourable than Queen.

* * *

It had been easy explaining to Elizabeth that she was no longer a Princess and that her mother was no longer the Queen. Her daughter was more intelligent than she could ever have imagined. She had constantly received reports from Lady Bryan when she lived in Hatfield telling her of her daughter's progress and her intelligence, Anne had always thought the woman was exaggerating in hope of more praise, but that had not been the case. Elizabeth was smarter than any child her age. But explaining to her daughter that her father had a new wife, a new Queen, was not as simple.

"But Mama, why is there a new Queen? Why can't you be Queen like before?" her daughter had asked, frowning in confusion.

_Because your Papa was going to cut off my head to make his latest whore his wife in hope that the slut would give him a son._ "I do not wish to be Queen any longer, sweetheart. Your Papa need's a son to become the next King when Papa goes to heaven. I couldn't give your Papa a son, my darling. Do you understand?"

The girl pouted but nodded her head gravely. "Yes Mama. But I don't like her. The Queen."

Anne had to repress a smile. Whilst she wanted to commend her daughter on her good judgement without even meeting the woman, she did not want to risk Henry's anger over his daughter insulting his new wife. He would think it was Anne whispering poisonous thoughts to their daughter in hopes of using her to get to him. She could not afford for Henry to think that Elizabeth was nothing but respectful to his wife. If Henry ever thought that Elizabeth hated the woman or their children, she hated to think what he would do to their daughter. "You do not have to like her Elizabeth, but do not tell anyone how you feel about her. You must respect her as she is now your Queen. Your Papa loves her very much and would be very angry to hear you speak ill of her. Do you understand?"

If Henry actually managed to get a son from the woman, which Anne thought was highly unlikely, he would not stand for anything said against the child. If for one moment Henry thought that Anne was encouraging their daughter to rebel against him and his new family, he would not hesitate to get rid of her regardless what the public thought. If Henry ever got the idea that Anne would try to usurp his son off the throne and place their daughter there in his stead, then Henry might even go as far to execute their daughter to protect the throne, no matter how much he loved her, he would not let anything threaten the succession. Anne would never let that happen, even if it meant encouraging her daughter to respect the woman who she despised.

Elizabeth nodded solemnly. "I understand Mama."

* * *

Compared to the life of a Queen, Anne's days were simple. Although she had her estates to manage, overseeing Elizabeth's education and was finalising her plans for the monasteries Henry gave her in the divorce, Anne found that she had much spare time during her day. Afternoons and dinner were spent with Elizabeth or with visitors or the occasional ride across her lands.

The monasteries that were bestowed upon her after the divorce were being transformed into schools for intelligent boys from poor families. Thousands of children were destined to the life of farming because they had no way to gain an education, and though she would not be able to help all of them, Anne hoped that the schools which were being prepared would give an education to some of them and a chance to be something more than a farmer when they were older.

Whilst she had wanted the corrupt monasteries to be closed after being fully investigated by Cromwell, she did not agree that the land should be sold and the funding going to the crown, and no doubt in Cromwell's pocket as well. There had been no need to close some monasteries, but Cromwell had them shut down anyway to further his own greed. The Reformation was not welcome in England at this time, and closing down monasteries that actually helped their community was doing the Reformation more harm than good. Families were left worse off than they originally had been. Anne had tried to persuade Cromwell and even the King when she was in his favour to find a use for the monasteries to further help commoners and to show that they could still benefit from the dissolution of the monasteries, but it was to no avail. With the generous amount of money Henry had bestowed upon her and donations from noble families who remained friends to her or supported her cause, Anne had no problem funding her schools.

The relationship she had formed with her daughter was stronger than she could ever imagine. When Elizabeth was a baby and Henry had told her that she could feed her child from her breast, Anne realised that she was only Elizabeth's mother in name. A Queen was not a mother, she bore the child until the babe was strong enough to survive alone, and then the child's attendants took over. She was not the one to feed her, to dress her, to bathe her. Anne only saw her daughter when she was dressed up, happy and ready to play the perfect Princess, she was naught but a visitor to her daughter. It was then that Anne pushed aside her burning desire to be a mother. She had done her father's bidding, and was now paying the price for it.

Now Anne had the chance to see her daughter everyday. She watched her daughter eat, fall asleep and have some very amusing tantrums. When her daughter did something naughty, it was to her mother she apologised to, not her governess. She read to her, played with her and dressed her. She was truly Elizabeth's mother now.

She loved her simple life in the country, but Anne was beginning to miss court. Since she was a girl she had been mingled in court life, be it in Austria, France or England. She revelled in the drama, the gossip, the magnificent feasts and dances. She had always been a very social person after being raised in courts. She had thrown dances and parties when Henry was courting her, especially during the years there was no Queen residing at court and the early part of their marriage. Even those who hated her had tried to win her favour in those days. She felt lonely in the country, and though she still had ladies fussing around her and servants at her beck and call, she longed to have a crowd around her as she once had as they watched her in admiration and jealousy. There was one thing that Anne could not deny. She loved to be the centre of attention.

* * *

When she lived in Hatfield, Elizabeth rarely got to see her Mama. She had lived with Lady Bryan, her old governess who was kind but very stern, and her ladies. As a Princess of England, Elizabeth had lived very grandly in her short life. She was different from other children because her Papa was the King of England, and her Mama the Queen. From since she could remember Lady Bryan had explained to her what was to be expected of her, how she should curtsey to her mother and father, how she was supposed to greet visitors, how one day she would marry a man of her father's choosing. She had the most expensive gowns and toys made for her and had lots of servants and ladies to look after her.

But everything was different now.

She lived with her Mama now in a grand house with beautiful gardens where she would play with her Mama. Elizabeth loved living with her Mama. She got to see her everyday and her Mama would play with her and read to her. Lady Bryan would not let her play all afternoon, but her Mama did. She would have her lessons in the morning while her Mama did grown up stuff, and then her Mama would spend the whole afternoon with her. When she had lived in Hatfield, Elizabeth missed her parents dearly, she was happy to be living with her Mama.

She was not a Princess anymore. Her Mama had explained to her that because she was no longer married to Papa, her mama was not Queen anymore and she was not a Princess. She was now the Duchess of Pembroke, and Elizabeth was now the Lady Elizabeth. She did not mind being the Lady Elizabeth, as long as she got to stay with her Mama she was happy.

She could live without being a Princess as long as she continued to have the best toys and the prettiest gowns. Elizabeth and her Mama were very happy living together, but she missed her Papa.

Elizabeth had not seen her Papa in a long time. When she was a Princess, Lady Bryan told her that because her Papa was the King, he was awfully busy and could not come to see her as much as he would like. He would always send her gifts though, but she had not received a gift from her father for months. The last time she was at court her Papa did not come and see her. He always came to see her. He would swing her up into his arms and greet her in front of all of his subjects. Had she been bad? She did not think she had, but what other reason did he have to not see her?

After months of speculation and waiting to hear from her father, Elizabeth finally asked her mother.

"Mama," Elizabeth said hesitantly. They were sitting outside in the warm August sun. It was just the two of them, her Mama had sent her attendants and her ladies away for the afternoon. Although she was only a little girl, she knew that her mother did not like to speak of her Papa very much. She always looked sad when she mentioned him, especially when they first arrived at their new home, but it had been a while since they had last spoken of him. When she was last at court, she knew her Mama was very sad, but she seemed happy living with her now. Elizabeth did not want to upset her Mama, but she missed her Papa so much. "Does Papa not love us anymore?"

As soon as the words were out of her young daughter's mouth, Anne's whole body filled with dread. She put the book she had been reading aside and looked at her daughter carefully. She had grown quite a bit in the months they had been living together. Her lovely blond hair was starting to show signs of turning auburn. Anne could not believe that her daughter was soon to be turning three years old. She was growing too fast. She knew that her daughter was intelligent, Lady Bryan was always delighted to tell her how clever the little girl was, but living under the same roof as her had shown Anne just how bright she truly was.

Anne had spent the past months trying to convince her daughter that everything was fine. Everything really was fine, she was alive and lived with her daughter in a beautiful estate and had more money than they could possibly ever need. But Henry's absence in their lives had left an impact. She tried to distract Elizabeth from her father's absence, but looking down into her daughter's round face, she knew that she had not succeeded.

"Why would you say such a thing sweetheart?" Anne pulled Elizabeth onto her lap and rocked her gently. While she knew without a doubt that Henry no longer loved her, she knew that he still loved his daughter. Even if he had deluded himself into thinking that she may not have been his when they had last met, he would never be able to deny that he loved her. Even after everything the Lady Mary had done, he still loved her. Elizabeth was his jewel and easily charmed anyone who came into her path, especially her father.

"He does not come to see me anymore, Mama," Elizabeth whispered.

"Oh sweetheart. Of course your Papa still loves you. You know he is very busy, Elizabeth and we no longer live close to the palace anymore, it would be quite a ride for him to come would it not? He would visit you all the time if he could."

"Does he not come to visit me because I am not a Princess anymore, Mama?"

"No. Your Papa loves you as much as he always has. It does not matter if you are a Princess or a Lady, sweetheart, we will always love you. Elizabeth, there are things you are too young to understand, but when you are older I promise I will tell you everything. You have done nothing wrong, my sweet girl. Do you understand?"

"Yes Mama." She was silent for a while seeming to mull over her mother's words. "Do you think he will send me presents for my birthday?"

"Of course he will," Anne replied. She hoped that it was not a lie. Although she hoped that Henry had gotten over most of his anger towards her, she could not be sure that this was not the case. If he was still angry at her defiance, she could only hope that he would not punish their daughter anymore than he already had by ignoring her birthday.

"Do you think he will come and see me, mama?" Elizabeth asked a little more hopefully. Anne's heart sank a little. She could not see Henry wanting to spend time with their daughter if he knew that she were to be there.

"Maybe, but it is very unlikely Elizabeth," Anne said gently, not wanting to get the little girl's hopes up. Elizabeth smiled and seemed pacified for now, but Anne knew the girl would be asking questions again soon if the King didn't acknowledge his daughter. Losing the King's love was a painful experience, and it was one that Anne prayed that her daughter never had to live through. Anne could only pray that Henry opened up his black heart a little for their daughter.

* * *

That night Nan went to her Lady's quarters to help prepare her for bed. She found her sitting by a roaring fire staring at an unopened letter. "It is a letter from court, but I do not think it is from my brother. I think it maybe from Master Cromwell, it looks too important to be from my friends or family does it not? I cannot help but be apprehensive, considering all that has happened." Her voice was naught but a murmur and her eyes never left the letter. Nan wondered if her mistress realised her presence, but Anne's eyes flicked up to hers and she smiled grimly. "But when have I ever been a coward? Master Cromwell and his King can not hurt me any longer." She tore the letter open. A frown happened upon her face and grew deeper and deeper with each word. Anne let out a pained sound and the letter she had been reading fluttered to the floor.

"What is it, my Lady?" Nan asked. Her mistress looked at her, and for a second Nan saw her horrified eyes before all emotion was wiped from her face.

By looking at her, not many would know that something was troubling her. Ten years of being the subject of stares and scornful whispers had taught her mistress to wear an emotionless mask in front of her courtiers. If any of their cruel whispers bothered her, she would not let anybody know it. There was always somebody who looked for a weakness in Anne Boleyn, but they would never find one. It was a mask that Nan hadn't seen in months, and was one that she hadn't wanted to see again. She had been by Anne's side throughout the King's courtship of Anne, when he loved her like no other man could love another, she had held her friend's hand when she gave birth to her daughter, she had comforted her friend when the King grew tired of her and took mistresses, and she had been with her when all hope was lost when her baby left her body. Anne had become a dear friend to Nan over the years, and she hated to see her in any kind of pain. She thought that everything was over now, and her friend could finally live in peace without her manipulative Father and her cruel husband. But the emotionless face that stared at her made her realise that it was not over, it had never been over, and her Lady's life was about to be disrupted once again.

"Elizabeth and I have been summoned to court."

* * *

**This chapter's a bit short, but I didn't really want to write about Anne being in the country doing nothing. Thing's will be much more exciting when she arrives at court in the next chapter. Sorry for the very late update, I got caught up in the football - England were absolutely awful. It won't happen again. **


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